The Confederation and the Union have fought each other to a standstill. Battered, exhausted fleets eye each other warily across a border that has been a battlefield for three bloody years. Neither side has the strength to attack, and both wait for reinforcements that will allow them to resume the fight.

On the worlds of the Iron Belt, the heavily industrialized sector near the Confederation’s Core, massive shipyards operate around the clock, producing the great vessels that can end the war. The Union knows it cannot win the economic struggle with its wealthier, more productive enemy, and Sector Nine, its feared spy agency, is not idle. Their focus is not on the front lines, the ravaged border between the two nations, but far off, beyond the Rim, in the strange, militaristic realm know as the Alliance.

Sector Nine’s intrigues are targeted at nothing less than instigating a coup, and bringing to power a regime that favors war against the Confederation, a change in government that will bring the fresh fleets of the Alliance into the war, striking at the Confederation’s unguarded flank.

Once again, Captain Tyler Barron and his battleship Dauntless must go back to the Rim, and on to the Alliance itself to somehow thwart the Union’s plan…and prevent a two-front war the Confederation cannot win.

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Captain Tyler Barron has been sent on another special mission. He had hoped to return to the front of the war against the Union but Admiral Striker needed him desperately to take a challenge that must be successful.

The Union and the Confederation have fought to a standstill. The Union knows that the Confederation can build newer and more powerful battleships faster than they can and the tide of the war is now against them. The Union has a plan though! Start a coup within the Alliance worlds and get the Alliance to support the Union war with the Confederation. The Alliance have a powerful space fleet and they are expert warriors. The Confederation would then have to fight a war on two fronts and divide their forces.

Captain Barron has an impossible mission, he must go to the Alliance and support the right side of the pending civil war and keep the Alliance out of the war. If he is unsuccessful, then the Confederation is doomed…..

Jan Allan has become one of my favorite authors. I have read virtually all of his books and I have enjoyed all of them. They are well written with a lot of action and suspense. I like how he skillfully develops his characters and makes me love them or hate them.

This is a great story and I liked it a lot. I do recommend that you read the other books in this series first so you can understand the characters and the ongoing war. I rated this book at 5 stars. This is a long book and at times it seemed to move slowly and yet at other times it was so intense I couldn't stop reading. I certainly found it entertaining. I can't wait for the next book release.

Jay not only writes good books but his series of stories always link together with great story lines.

My favorite genre is military Sci-Fi and Jay Allan's books just hit my favorite kind of stories so much that I really enjoy his books. This one is a good story.

The latest book is a worthy addition to the Blood on the Stars series - lots of action and plenty of character development to go around. There are a lot of platitudes I could use, but the biggest complement I can give is that the story and characters hooked me from the start, and I was able to focus on the story without those jarring moments when you realize you are not in the story. Jay Allen continues to prove why he is one of my favorite authors!